Refrigerator



SePf- 26, 1933- 'A. B. SAL-ro l i 1,928,212

REFRIGERATOR Filed July 21, 1931 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 26, 1933asrmcmron Aage B. Salto, New York, N. Y., anignor to Bex Cole, Inc., NewYork, N. Y., .a corporation of New York Application Jill! 21, 1931.'Serial No. 552,219

'Ihe present invention relates to refrigerators and is more particularlydirected toward a refrigerator employing a more or less toxic orirritant refrigerant and provided with a specific protective mediumwhereby the escape of such re-` frigerant into .the open air iseffectively prevented.

Many refrigerators employ sulphur dioxide as the refrigerating'mediumand, on account of the irritant and toxic properties of sulphur dioxidegas, the i'lre department regulations of marry cities forbid the use ofsuch refrigerators under certain conditions.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a. refrigerator withsuitable protective medium whereby the refrigerantI such as sulphurdioxide is adsorbed by an adsorbent so that it cannot escape to the openair. The preferred material for this purpose is partially dehydratedaluminum trihydrate, known as activated alumina.

The present invention is particularly 4well adapted for use inconnection with water coolers and the like where the evaporator is notexposed to the open air, and to refrigerators of theitype which employ asealed-in motor and compressor with no exposed moving parts andrequiring no extraneous oiling or upkeep, for with these refrigeratorsit is possible to completely enclose the condenser in a casing and tosurround this unit with the adsorbent material.

The accompanying drawing shows a common form of electrically operatedwater cooler of the above type provided with the protective adsorbingmedium, it being understood that the drawing is illustrative and thatthe invention is not limited to the form of refrigerator shown therein.

In the refrigerator illustrated, the entire refrigerating plant exceptthe controls is enclosed within a steel shell or casing 10 of the usualtype. The direction of flow of refrigerant is shown by the plain arrows,and of water by feathered 'arrows. The high pressure side of therefrigerator vis placed below a partition l1 made of rigid in-v sulatingmaterial as usual, while the low pressure side of the refrigerator isplaced above this the casing'lO supports a removable coolertop 30generally made of porcelain and provided with Y the usual bubbler 31 andcompartment 32 for the electrical control 33 for the motor.

The liquid refrigerant tube 34 extends from 70 the float chamber 15 tothe evaporator 35 carried in the uppercompartment, and the gaseousrefrigerant returns through the tube 36. The cooling water enters at 37part of it passing through the cooling coils 15 and out through a 75tube 38 `to the waste pipe 39. Freshwater also passes from the supplypipe 37 through the double walled pre-cooling coil 40, then through awater inlet tube 41 to the outer shell 42 of the cooling compartment. Itthe'n passes through 80 the pressure regulator 43' and into the tankformed in the evaporator 35, from which it may be withdrawn through thetubes 44 and 45 to supply the bubbler 31, a remote bubbler connection46, or otherwise. Waste water from the bubbler passes through the innercoils of the precooler 40 and to the waste pipe 37.

The foregoing description relates in general to a well known watercooler now available, and the present invention relates to protectingthe high and low pressure sides of refrigerators of this and othertypes, particularly those employ ing sulphur dioxide as a refrigerant.

The lower compartment housing the motor, compressor, condenser andassociated parts, is completely closed and these parts are enclosed in apacking of the partially dehydrated aluminum trihydrate as indicated atA. This material of granular form is packed around all the .variousparts containing the suiphur dioxide. This material adsorbs 15% of itsown weight of SO: gas and hence about 40 pounds of the activatedvalumina will suilice to provide an excess of adsorbent material for thesix pounds of gas used in an ordinary water cooler. This constructionaffords a triple protection against the escape of SO2 gas. First, theinner mechanism is sealed in steel, second there is a protective packingof the'activated alumina, and third there .is an oute'i casing of steelwhich requires com- 110 plete diffusion of any escaping gases so thatall such gases will come in contact with the adsorbent. 'Before the gascan escape it must expel the air and build up a pressure in excess ofatmospheric.

The spaces about the low pressure side of the refrigerator are filledwith this adsorbing medium as indicated at B where it affords all theadvantages above referred to and functions as an insulator about theevaporator to insure the cooling of the water.

It will, of course, be understood that the in vention is not limited toWater coolers having both high and low pressure units in one casing, forit may be applied generally to evaporators which can be isolated fromthe outside air and to sealed-in motor compressor mechanism having noexposed moving parts and requiring no extraneous y oiling or upkeep.

It is obvious that the invention may`be embodiedin many forms andconstructions, and I wish it to be understood that the particular formshown is but one of the many forms. Various modifications and changesbeing possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respectthereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a refrigerator employing a toxic refrigerating medium, thecombination with the evaporator thereof, of an enclosing casing for theevaporator and a protective packing in the cas ing and about theevaporator, said packing comprising partially dehydrated aluminum trhydrate and being adapted to act as a specific ad- -sorbing medium for anyrefrigerant which may escape.

2. In a refrigerator employing a toxic refrigerating medium, thecombination with the condenser thereof, of an enclosing casing forcondenser. and a protective packing in the casing and about thecondenser, said packing com prising partially dehydrated aluminumtrihydrate and being adapted to act as a specific arsorbing medium forany refrigerant which may escape.

3. 2in a refrigerator employing a toxic refrigerating medium, thecombination with the condenser and evaporator thereof, of enclosingcasings for the condenser and the evaporator, protective packing in eachcasing and about the condenser and evaporator, said packing comprisingpartially dehydrated aluminum trihydrate and being adapted to act as aspecific adsorbing medium for any refrigerant which may escape.

4.y In' a refrigerator, the combination with a condenser containingsulphur dioxide as a refrigerant, of an enclosing casing containingpartially dehydrated aluminum trihydrate in sufficient amount to ai "hall the refrigerant.

5. In a refrig... ator, the combination with an evaporator containingsulphur dioxide as a refrigerant, of an enclosing casing containingpartially dehydrated aluminum trihydrate in suiiicient amount to adsorball the refrigerant.

6. A refrigerator employing sulphur dioxide as a refrigerant and meansto prevent the escape of such refrigerant to the surrounding aircomprising an enclosing casing containing partially dehydrated aluminumtrihydrate.

7. In a refrigerator the method of preventing the escape of substantialamounts of sulphur dioxide in the gaseous phase which consists inpassing it through an adsorbent, in the form of partially dehydratedaluminum trihydrate.

AAGE B. SfiLTO.

Ofi 'Ju

